Leonid Slutsky is confident of stepping up Hull City’s recruitment drive in the next 10 days after being forced to bide his time for a first breakthrough in the transfer market.

Despite selling Harry Maguire and Curtis Davies to raise a reported £17.5m this month, the Tigers are yet to bolster a depleted squad relegated from the Premier League.

Slutsky arrived back in East Yorkshire yesterday to work alongside City’s new head of recruitment Lee Darnbrough but, three weeks after his appointment, the Russian is yet to welcome his first new addition as head coach.

A move for Chelsea defender Tomas Kalas remains in the balance amid competition from Fulham, while City are also waiting on developments in Aleksandr Golovin’s proposed move from CSKA Moscow to Arsenal before working on a subsequent loan deal.

Tomas Kalas, in action for Fulham against Hull City in January, is a target for the Tigers (Image: Getty Images)

City’s first-team squad are likely to return for pre-season training on Monday without fresh blood – the third consecutive summer that has happened – but Slutsky is hopeful reinforcements will come before the warm-weather camp on the Algarve.

“It’s not a quick process, but I hope we will have some new players before our trip to Portugal on July 11,” Slutsky told ESPN.

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“Of course we need some players, but it’s like in every club. There are players you want, who don’t want to play in this city. There are players who want to play in this city, that maybe you don’t want. But we have a strategy about new players, about loan players and in the last two weeks I am working hard with players and having a lot of conversations with agents.”

City’s only transfer activity to date this summer has centred on players leaving the KCOM Stadium. As well as the departures of Maguire and Davies, the exit of six loan players from last season’s plans has left a threadbare squad preparing to come together on Monday.

Shaun Maloney is set to sign a new deal with Hull City (Image: Focus Images)

Shaun Maloney is another player whose future is not yet guaranteed. The Scotland international had indicated a willingness to sign a one-year extension with City last week but has since been offered a two-year deal with SPL side Aberdeen.

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Maloney officially becomes a free agent tomorrow and there is an increasing confidence at Pittodrie that the veteran can be persuaded to join the Dons instead of signing up for a third season at the KCOM.